Process of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles



1927. 1,625,122 April 19 E. HoPKlNsoN ET A1.

PRocEss oF MANUFACTURING TIRE CASINGS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES- Filed NOv l5. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1,625,122 Apnl 19 1927 E. HoPKlNsoN ET AL 'PROCESS 0F MANUFACTURING TIRE CASINGS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed NOV. l5. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e Home?.

1927. E, HoPKlNsoN ET AL PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING TIRE CASINGS OR MOTOR VEHICLES April 19 Filed NOV. l5. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr-. 19, 19i7..

U-NlTEosTATEs lPATENT orifice.

ERNEST HOPVIINSON, OI NEW YORK, ANDWIILIIIAI J STIINLE, .0F FLSHDTG;

YORK; SAID STmE ASSIGNOB TO THE HARTFORD RUBBER WORKS COMPANY, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

rnocass or murac'run'lno 'rm caemos ron xo'ron vaincus.

-Alll'liation tiled lI lovelulier This invention relates vto the manufacture of tire casings for motor vehicles and more particularly, to a new and improved method of sha ing them to tire form from a substantia y fiat band.

Various methods have been proposed from time to time for transforming to tire'shape laminations of rubberized cords and vulcan- '.izable rubber com osition which have been Previous1. assem led in pulle -band form'. is invention aims to provi ea new and improved procedure somewhat simpler and less expensive than prior practices for the manufacture of certain kinds of casings. With -the illustrated embodiment in 'mind and without Yintention to limit more than is required-by the prior art, the invention concisely summarized consists in partly shaping a fiat carcass, applying a tread of vulcanlzable rubber composition to the partly shaped carcass to hold it approximately semi-circular' (thereby facilitating the introduction of an ex ansible core or sealing ring), subsequent completely lforming the treaded carcass to tire shape and assembling it on an annular bag or sealing ring, and finally, vulcanizing vthe casing whilefsubjecting its 1nterior to fluid. pressure applied either d1- rectly through its inner surface, as when a sealing ring is used, or indirectly, as when an inflatable rubber core or bag is employed. Y A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :'-f

Fig. 1 represents a carcass as built flat on a drum; f

Fig. 2 represents the carcass transferred to a shaping machine having an iniiatable tube for partly shaping the carcass;

.50 of the operation in the final shaping machine Fig. 6 shows the tire in'v cross-Section.

mold in about they Fig. 3 shows the partly shaped carcass to which has been applied a tread o f vulcaniz 15,'1aaa`. smal n. conoce.

mounted on a sealing-ring'and' readyfqrh'in- I troduction in a vulcanizing mold; and

Fig. 7 illustrates the casing with its mar-` u' gins mounted .on a sealing-ring confined' in a ing' vulcanizat-ion.

Inl the drawings, the invention is illustrated as racticed in the manufacture of straight-si e casing's, i. e., those having inextensible bead members or wires incorpo.- rated in their margins. It is to be understood, however,'that clincher casings, with extensible bead members, may be manufactured according to the present invention by suitably modifying thedirections to. be herepositionxof the parts dur' inafter given in a manner that will be obvi ous to those skilled in the art. f Accordlng to our invention,we first build a' carcass 1 of any. suitable character of strain-resisting-elements, such as plies of rubberized cords, in the flat form illustrated in Fig. 1 on a collapsible drum. Convenient apparatus and sulicient direetionsvf'or doing this aregiven in prior-patents, such as No. 1,310,701, granted July 22nd, 1919, and No. 1,374,505, granted April 12th, 1921. Bead members 2 of the inextensible type illustrated, or of an extensible type (not shown)A may be incorporated in the margins of the band. The completed and substantially flat band is then transferred to another drum 3,

preferably collapsible, which is grooved, as indicated at 4, to receive an inflatable tube l 5. This is desirably reinforced, as indicated at 6, with bias cut fabric, for instance, permitting the inner `wall of the tube to Stretch longitudinally to a limited extent without breaking away from the surface 7 of the drum to which the tube` 5 may have been ce-v mented, or otherwise secured, previously.

The bias fabric 6 stiiens the inner wall of the tube somewhatbut permits limited lon-- gitudinal stretch, and hence, making the 4support or drum 3 with collapsible sections,

as indicated at 8,r if desired, to facilitate'manipulation of the casing.

After the flat carcass is adjusted on the drum 3, as illustrated in Fig. 2 in solid lines, it is partly formed to tire shape, preferably nearly semi-circular, as indicated in dotted lines, b infiating the inner tube 5.

/TO t e partly shapedand approximately not refer to the i semicircularl carcass, astripof tread stock 9 of vulcanizable rubber| 'compositionl ofjslutable thickness is thenap lied and; rolledv down imposition so as. to

the' carcass/ and condense itsskirts", -thereby maintaining a gripon-.the fabric carcass tending to holdit more or. less tothe form in which it is shaped by the inflatable tube 5. 'The inflatable tube 5 is next colla sed and the partly shaped band removed rom the drum 3.

We, preferably, complete thefshaping of the band upon the cylindrical support 10.'

This may be of an suitable form and con.

struction, preferab y collapsible, adapted to margins of the casing are then pushed upon by any suitable means, such as annular rin 14, shaped approximately as illustrated, and thereb the casing is substant1ally completely shape and its margins simultaneously seated on the annular support. In Fig. 5, the casing and parts of the apparatus are shown inthe position they occupy at the completion of the operation. I

By substantiall completely shaped, we `c lo dimensions of the casing 1n cross-section, rather we refe'r to its general outline. At this time, the diameter of the casing at its tread, forinstance, mayv be approximately equal toits diameter when completely vulcanized, but 1n most cases, depending upon the number of plies o f fabric, the angle of the cords, or strain-resistingelements, in the respective plies, and the nature of the cords and the. bead member, the diameter of the casing 4at the tread will be somewhat less lthan when it is finally vulcanized. A limited amount of stretch, or distension, occurs when a fluid under pressure is supplied to the interior of the casing,

' or a hollow water-bag within the casing,

' fluid pressure dur-ing' vulcanization beingl either of these ways of applying an internal available'.

' The shaped casing mounted on its sealing ring is then removed from the drum 10. .When free, the casin -takes the position, approximately, shown 1n Fig. 6 of the drawings. The shaped casing and sealing rlng llare then mounted in a sectional mold 15, which is Aclamped in any suitable way, as indicated at 16. Fluid under any suitable pressure may then be supplied through the valve-stem 17 to the interior of the casing and the tire vulcanized.

No further recapitulation of the ste s involved in the process are thought to necessary in view of the foregoing description. As the invention is presently comprehanded, its essence lies in the idea of utilmamma lizing vulcanizable rubber; composition, applied in `any form or manner whatsoever, to the exterior of a carcass which-has been half-way, or partly, shaped tolinal tire form in order to more or less completely retain thehalf-way,or artly, formed carcass in its transient condition. By this course, the inating bag 5 or other-.means employed for half-way forming the casing may be withdrawn so as to leave the interior unobstructed 'and ready to receive an annular molding device. is may be in the form of, or resembling, the sealing ring ll-desirable when a fluid pressure is to be applied directly vto. the interior `of the casing-or it may be in the form of *a fluid-holding bag, usually .made of rubber, or fabric, or both, andl with relatively thick walls. In the latter case, lduring vulcanization, V:Huid admitted to the interior of the bag exerts its pressure through its walls to the inner surface of the casing.

gS The water, or air, bag, used as an annular support for the casing during vulcanization, is usually ofa size and shape very closely approximating the outline of the tube-receiving cavity in the finished casing and` our Ainvention'contemplates the use of such a bag' during vulcanization.

In .small size casings, we prefer to apply the tread of vulcanizable rubber composition 9 with itsskirts extending to the beads, as shownv in Fig. 3, but for large size casings, where there is a relatively eat difference in the diameters of the trea and bead portions of the casing, we prefer to make the' tread 9 of a width less than the distance around the carcass from bead to bead. It is to be distinctly understood, therefore, that the vulcanizable rubber composition 9, applied externally to the carcass, may vary 1n width, if desired, it being essential only that there be enough grasp on the carcass to maintain it partly shaped. When the tread stock 9 terminates short of the beads of the casing,

we preferably apply more"or less narrow strips ofl rubber composition Yto the bead portions while the casin is iat.

It is to be understoo that the invention is not limited to the precise procedure set forth and reference is therefore made to the appended claims for an understanding of the scope of the invention.

In the claims by partially forming is meant a shaping of the band to a standinoP 4center of the treadl of less than three-quar- -heightwfromvthe line of the beads to thte'lzo' ters of the standing height of the `iinished s tire. v

Having thus described our invention,`what We claim` and desire to protect by Letters Patent-is:

1. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in,

making a substantially flat band of strainresistin-g-elements and rubber composition,

partially forming the band to tire shape, applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the band to hold it partly shaped, further forming on the annular support.

making 2. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in, making a substantially fiat band of strainresisting-elements and rubber composition, partially forming the band to tire shape, applying a treadl of vulcanizable rubber composition to the band to hold it partially shaped, completely shaping the band and simultaneously seating its marginson a sealing ring, and finally vulcanizing the casing with fluid under pressure directly in contact with its inner surface.

3. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in,

makmg a substantially fiat band of strainresisting-elements and rubber composltion, forming the band approximately semi-clrcular in cross-section,applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the band to hold it approximately Vsemi-circular,

further forming the band substantially to" tire shape and mounting it on an annular support, and finally vulcanizing the casing on the annular support.

4. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in,

a substantially flat band ofstrainresisting-elements and rubber composition, forming the band approximately semi-circular in cross-section, applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the band to hold it approximately semi-circular, complet-ely shaping the band and simultaneously seating its margins on a sealing ring, and finally vulcanizing the casing with fluid under pressure directly in contact with its inner surface.

5. A method-'of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in, making a substantially flat band of strainresisting-elements an rubber composition,

partially formlng the band to readily receive an annular support, applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the band to substantially maintain it in sha e, introducing an annular support within t e partly formed band, completely forming the hand to tire shape, and -finally vulcanizing the casing.

6. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in, making a substantially flat carcass of plies of rubberized cords, partially forming the -fiat carcassto readily receive between its margins an annular support, applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the partly shaped carcass to substantially maintain it in this form, mounting the margins of the partly shaped casing on an annular support and simultaneously completing its transformation to tire shape, and finally vulcanizing the casing while subjecting its inner surface to fluid pressure.

7 'A method of 'manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in, making a substantially fiat carcass of plies of' rubberized cords, differentially pressing upon the carcass between its margins so as to form it partly to tire shape and facilitate the introduction therein of an annular support, applying a tread of vulcanizable rublrer composition to the partly shaped carcass to substantially maintain it in this form, completely forming the band to tire shape and in vulcanizin position on an annularsupport, and final y vulcanizing the casing on the annular-support.

8. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which consists in, making a substantially flat carcass of plies of rubberized cords, differentially pressing upon the carcass between its margins so as to form it partly to tire shape and facilitate the introduction therein of an annular ring, applying a tread of vulcanizable rubber composition to the partly shaped carcass to substantially maintain it in this form, mounting the margins of the partly sha ed casing on the annular ring and simu taneously completing its transformation to tire shape, and finally vulcanizing the casing while applying fluid pressure to its inner surface.

9. A method of manufacturing tire casings for motor vehicles which. consists in, making a substantially flat carcass of plies of rubberized cords, forming the carcass approximately semi-circular with an inflatable tube, applying a tread of vulcanizable rub-l ber composition to the semi-circular carcass' to substantially maintain it in this form, pressing with mechanical devices upon the sides of the partly shaped carcass to completely form 1t to tire s ape and simultaneously mountin it on .an annular support, and finally vu canizing the casing between rigid mold sections while` subjecting it internally tofluid ressure.

Signed at 'Newt ork city, county of New York, and State of New York, this 14th day of November, 1922.

. ERNEST HOPKINSON.

Signed at New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, this 14th day of November, 1922. 

